Breaking Daylight: Human Toa?
by CI-KiteWolfling-NYPD
Summary: What more can be said about a human? It is a vessel of depravity, driven by green, lust, hatred and a need for bitter self preservation, even at the expense of all living things. The Toa Nuva have their work cut out for them preventing this invasion..
1. Conference

"_There has never been a monster quite like a human._

_The Legends whisper tale and song of some of the most formidable foes…those swathed in darkness and bathed in shadow. Rahkshi. Bohrok. Visorak—even the Makuta himself. The list goes on, stretching into the infinity._

_But there has never been a monster quite like a human._

_The night stirs its poisonous tendrils and creates more scum for breaking daylight to chase away. Yet despite our efforts as the bringers of the dawn, there is a monster that cannot be completely destroyed._

_Truly, there has never been a monster quite like a human._

_What more can be said about a human? It is a vessel of self-centeredness, and possesses a crushing need to survive even at the expense of everyone around it. Driven by green, lust, hatred and all other of the darkest sins, a human is possibly the most dangerous being ever to be created by the darkness._

_And the fact that makes us all tremble…is that only a human can crush a human._

_A human's true power does not lie in ethers, masks, toa-stones or even gifts from the shadows. All the same, the human's power is a terrible, devastating force that can be unleashed as they see fit. If a human were to be placed among us with our power over the elements, I shudder to see what the results would be._

_And indeed, gathered friends. I have seen the results._

_One week. It has been one week since the veil was torn, and the first human stepped through and onto our soil. Since then Mata Nui has been turned on its head. Rahi, Toa, Turaga and Matoran alike are not safe._

_Not while the human walks among us."_

Turaga Vakama had spoken all of these words in a low, grim voice whilst staring into the flames of the council fire, distantly. Now he looked up and examined everyone present with a serene gaze—Toa and Turaga alike.

The meeting had been called on such short notice that Toa Onua, Toa Pohatu, Turaga Whenua and Turaga Onewa had not yet arrived from their Koros far to the north. Gali, Nokama, Tahu, Lewa, Matau, Kopoaka, Matora and Nuju were all present, silent and grim. The council hut was large enough to hold six Turaga, but adding four other Toa Nuva made things rather cozy.

There were two more Toa on the way, which wouldn't help matters.

There was not much to be said until the others arrived. Gali realized this as well as everyone else, and while she stood there next to her brother Kopaka she allowed her mind to wander back to that day when the human had arrived…

_She had been the first to see it, making her usual rounds on the shoreline of the bay. It had been alone, walking up the coast as though it were perfectly normal. Her insides had fluttered when she saw it…sickly things the humans were. Her axes had been in her fists before she could even think about it as the thing came towards her, speaking words she chose not to hear._

_She did not remember swinging the axe, but could remember the human catching her blade as though it were nothing—stopping the blow with merely a palm._

_She could remember the ugly thing's strange, contorting mask that shifted with its moods. She could remember standing there on the sand while the waters cried out to her, standing there struggling with the human.._

_And she could still see the red. The trickling red, the smell of the salt and the stain it had left on her hands, on her Toa tools…_

Gali pulled herself from the shaky recollection and glanced down at the blade of her axe, which leaned against the wall of the hut. There was no more red on the tinted blue protodermis—for she had scrubbed and scrubbed at it until it was completely gone. None of the Toa knew what the strange substance that came from the human could have been, but Nokama had called it…blood.

Blood. Her hands had been covered in blood.

Kopaka looked over and saw his sister staring avidly at her palms. As was his custom, he said nothing about it but slipped it in the back of his mind for later study.

"The Toa of Stone approaches!" Everyone in the hut heard the Ta-Koro guard alerting everyone to this fact, "The Toa of Earth approaches!"

As the Matoran's amplified voice faded from the air, Pohatu, Onewa, Whenua and Onua entered the council hut.

"We apologize for being so late, it's a long journey this far south." Pohatu bobbed his head, greeting everyone present with this gesture.

"Welcome, brother." Gali said, a smile lighting up behind her mask as she quickly pounded fists with the Toa of Stone, "It is good that you could make it. And you too, Onua."

"We are needed, and therefore we will arrive." Onua said in his usual stoic manner, nodding at his sister before standing next to Lewa, "Greetings, Turaga."

"It is well that we are all here." Turaga Nokama said, looking around at everyone, "We can finally get started."

"Yes!" Lewa said, clapping his hands together, "Let's put our heads together and brainthink…how do we get rid of this humanling?"

"It is not simply a question of getting rid of it, Toa of Air." Onewa said, amused as he settled in between Nuju and Vakama, "This human is not a leaf that can be swept off the rug of a Matoran's home dwelling."

"From what I can tell, we aren't very sure what this human _is _much less what it _isn't._" Kopaka spoke up. The eyepiece of his mask lengthened and focused on the council fire. As usual, when the Toa of Ice did speak it was with a cool, quietly condescending tone, "If we are lacking even that information, how can we hope to return the island to its normal state?"

"There is only one way." Vakama put a gnarled index finger in the air, about to make a point, "A prophecy. This will—"

"A prophecy?" Tahu interrupted, eyes glittering behind his mask. He had been leaning against the far wall, but now came off of it as though this proposition angered him, "What are you talking about, Turaga…"

"I thought he made it very openclear, firespitter." Matau bit off in his clipped accent, frowning at the rude interruption, "A prophecy. Are you brainsad that you can't understand?"

"I understand perfectly, 'wise one'." Tahu said in a dangerous voice that was barely respectful, "But I don't understand how a prophecy can get us out of this mess."

Gali exchanged worried glances across the hut with Pohatu. This last week, the Toa of Fire had been on edge—even more than the rest of them. Out of all the Toa, he was the closest to snapping after realizing that the human was more powerful than he ever could have imagined. Now he stood there with his fists clenched at his side, ready to lock horns and tussle with the next person to contradict his point…

"Cool your fires, Toa." Whenua gave a snort, "We are all burning with a need to solve this problem, you are not the only one here. Hear Turaga Vakama out and stop interrupting like a foolish Rahi."

For one moment, Gali was sure that Tahu would draw his blades and step towards the small, old Turaga…but to her surprise Tahu's common sense got ahold of him and he ducked his head.

"Yes Turaga. I apologize. Please, continue."

Vakama got to his feet…obviously thinking this would be an impressive move, but because he was so short all it did was make him visible over the top of the council fire, "The same Legends that tell us about the terror of the humans, tells us of a way to get rid of them. Perhaps you heard me say the line…'Only a human can crush a human?'"

Blank nods from the Toa, some more curt than others.

"There is a Prophecy about six humans…six humans who become Toa. They come when the need is greatest, and cross blades with the peril that threatens to surround us. Sister Nokama knows a part of the ancient text, and has been able to translate it for us all."

All the Toa looked expectantly to the Turaga of water, who got to her feet as well and stood next to her brother. Her mask of translation shone in the flickering council fire as she clasped her gnarled hands behind her back and recited—

"_When night surrounds they will bring the dawn_

_Six heroes, humans, from shadows spawned._

_Breaking daylight and coming morn_

_Destinies unfold, their duties sworn._

_Though darkness born they will darkness fight_

_As daybreak falls they will unite_

_The Darkest Hour, the Final Stand_

_Save heart and home from the Black One's hand_

_Come, six humans your power erect _

_Come to the land you are sworn to protect_

_Cast from the bleeding hand of fate_

_Unity! Duty! Destiny! For you daylight will wait."_

There was another grim silence as Nokama let her words ring. Nuju was the first to break it, unleashing a string of whistles and chirps that Matoro had a hard time keeping up with.

"He…he says that it sounds like nonsense to him."

"Nuju, you know better than all of us the store set in prophecies." Whenua said, looking at his brother, "You were a Seer in the towers for Mata Nui's sake…"

Nuju rapped Matoro on the top of his mask, hard and let loose with another stream of whistles.

"Uhh…what he meant was that he cannot decipher what the words of the prophecy mean." Matoro corrected himself wincing and adjusting his mask, which had been skewed from the sharp blow, "All the talk about daylight, daybreak, light dark night and…"

"Can't you see?" Vakama said, his voice growing in pitch and volume as he waved his fire staff in the air, "Only a human can crush a human. The prophecy tells of six human Toa who will come to us in our time of darkest trial."

"I don't think this is a wise plan…" Tahu spoke again, folding his arms across his broad chest, "Summoning more humans to take care of the first one? I don't like it one bit."

The Toa of fire glowered at everyone present.

"What else do you propose, brother?" Pohatu asked, staring across the hut at the Toa, "How many more have to die? If you have another plan then by all means speak up!"

To no one's surprise, Tahu did not respond.

"You both have valid points." Onua said quietly, "Tahu is right in questioning the virtue of the humans, and Pohatu also is right—we don't have many alternatives."

"I'm with the firespitter." Lewa frowned, looking around at the others, "The humanlings have given us this painmess in the first place…why are we calling more?"

"Because—" Vakama repeated, "—The Legends say that—"

"'Only a human can crush a human.'" Tahu injected angrily, "Yes, we know. Come on now, Turaga. Legends? Stories? Can we really risk everything on the words of an ancient Matoran tale?"

"You should set more store in those legends, Toa of Fire." Nokama said in her gravelly voice, "You and your fellow Toa are standing here today because of them."

Tahu chose not to retaliate to this.

"I'm all for it." Pohatu said cheerfully, "Anything that'll get the fighting to stop, I'm for it. Onewa, what ARE the chances that these summoned humans will join the one we already have?"

"I wish we knew." Onewa glanced over at Vakama, shaking his head sadly, "I think…it will be up to them."

"As it should be." Whenua nodded his head.

"As it should be?" Tahu rounded on the Turaga of Earth, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Use your head, Tahu." Kopaka spoke up again, his voice dark and condescending, "There is always a choice between good and evil—a line, even. We can always choose which path we walk down. I would hope a human has that same ability."

"All this speaktalk about, 'born from the shadows' makes me truedoubt that." Matau commented.

"Humans are such eerie looking things." Matoro spoke up, repressing a shudder, "All their biomechanics underneath that strange flabby pink stuff…and armor like tanned Ashbear plating nothing that'll stop a skiv…"

"Humans certainly are different than us on the outside…" Nokama said slowly, choosing her words carefully, "But on the inside…is it possible that they are no different than we are?"

Everyone stared at Nokama as though she had suddenly grown two heads.

"Surely you jest, sister…" Vakama said in wonder…

"What about you, Gali?" Onua grunted, nodding at his sister, "You've been awfully quiet, do you have anything to add?"

"I've just been thinking," Gali said softly, her eyes soft, "And I just don't know. I agree with Tahu that we can't know if we can trust them, but like Kopaka said…there is a line. We don't know what side they will choose."

Gali's voice trailed off and she looked distraught. Kopaka made another mental note to speak to her before he would head north to Ko-Koro.

"We're waiting for Daylight to Break." Vakama said, seating himself once more, looking worn, "This is just a proposition, gathered friends. We will think it over before making any decisions…"


	2. Scene by the Sea

Kopaka Nuva hated Ta-Koro.

It was a given fact, considering that the place was practically spewing hot lava from vents every few feet…no—not practically. Literally.

As he and the other Toa walked up the winding path that would lead them out of the Wahi, the Toa of Ice stumbled a bit as a wave of immense heat washed over him. As he pitched forward a pair of strong arms snagged him from falling off the edge of the path and down into the steaming abyss below.

"Easy there, brother." Pohatu chuckled, steadying the Toa, "Seems like I'm always saving you, aren't I?"

"Yes, so it seems." Kopaka bit of rather irritably. He was grateful that Tahu had chosen not to see his fellow Toa off. If Tahu were here to see Kopaka in such a weak state, he would have a field day. Kopaka's feet were sure and steady enough on, say, the slipper slopes of Mount Ihu, but here all he wanted to do was just..

Gali wasn't much better off, although she wasn't tripping over feet and staggering off of cliffs. Her face was set behind her mask, however, and she was breathing harder than what she was normally ought, "Come, brothers. Let's get out of this treacherous Wahi."

"Careful, watersister." Lewa chuckled, neither out of breath nor feeling the heat of the venting shafts as he walked along on light toes, "Lest our firespitting brother pop from nowhere and take offense to your wordspeak."

"Tahu would take offense if I wished him a good morrow." Pohatu laughed, "He is awfully high strung, isn't he?"

"Aren't we all?" Onua rumbled with his usual condemning logic, "Given the events that have so recently come to pass…I do not blame Tahu in the least for venting all his mad frustration."

The group did not speak again until they had crested the ridge if the Mangai Volcano and entered the fresh, sulfur free air. Lewa gave a great sigh of relief to see the lush green treetops of his home Wahi, "Ahh…truespeak I thought I would never see the happybright face of my wahi again…"

"Lewa don't you say that every time we go underground?" Pohatu chuckled, clapping his brother on the back.

"Here we must go our separate ways." Onua said in his gravelly voice, looking distantly to the west at the sinking sun, "Back to our villages in hope that they still remain. This may be the last time we all see each other, considering the nature of our opponent."

"Don't be so cheerhappy about it, Onua." Lewa's voice was a little sarcastic. He put his hands on his hips and summoned a brisk breeze to blow in from the north as he continued, "You're about as optimistic as a dying Gukko, Earthdigger. We'll pull through this, my toahero friends? And our cheerhappy island will be the same again?"

Here the Toa of Air tried valiantly to pull the other five into a strange sort of group hug, but was swiftly thwarted by the look on Kopaka's face.

"Good look to you all." Pohatu bowed to his brothers and his sister, "I am off to the north!"

The bronze hues of his Kakama gleamed with ethers, and in a whirl of color the Toa of Stone was gone, using his powers of the mask of speed to hurry him back to his home koro at a faster rate than what he had come.

Onua drew his Quake Breakers and twirled them expertly, "You might want to stand back."

The others willingly obliged. The Toa of Earth nodded his farewell, brought his Pakari mask of strength to bear…and in a flurry of soil was tunneling through the ground…gone.

"Such departures!" Lewa chuckled, "How can I greatmatch those two rockheads?"

Squaring his shoulders…the Toa of Air bowed to his sister and his brother…and walked away.

This left Gali and Kopaka. The former was watching the Toa of Air skip down the jungle path with a mild expression on her face, "He won't last two seconds."

True to her words, Lewa soon grew tired of walking, drew his Katana blades and flew away on the warm, rising up currents, which had called to his aid. From their perch on the Mangai, the pair could make out the entire southern tip of the island. Gali looked longingly at the crystalline blue waters that sparkled around her…

"You had better get back, Kopaka. It's a long walk."

"One thing first." The Toa of Ice said, the eyepiece of his mask lengthening and focusing on his sister. Not one to mince words, he leaped right into the middle of what he wanted to say, "What do you really think about the proposition Turaga Vakama had? I watched you in there, you were holding back what you were really going to say."

"The truth is I don't know what we're going to do.." The Toa of water looked away sure she could hear the Ocean calling out to her, "I just want the fighting to stop. I've seen firsthand what this human can do, and it's not pretty..."

"It's more than that, I'm not thick headed." Kopaka bit off, squaring his shoulders, "I know you, sister. You hurt more than the rest of us, you feel more. Somehow you're more invested in these goings on than our other brothers."

"Imagine that." Gali said a little coolly, sounding for a moment like the Toa of Ice himself. She took two steps back and nodded, "Take care of yourself, Kopaka."

And then before he knew it, the Toa of Ice was standing alone on the crest of the Mangai Volcano. Another heat wave rose out from the giant crater and wafted over him…which was encouragement enough for him to beat it out of there.


	3. Confrontation

Gali walked slowly back to her village, savoring every moment, every step that she took throughout Lewa's lush jungle Wahi. She could feel the humidity in the air crying out to her, asking her why her spirit was downcast…

_Because I am the one who has had the most contact with It. I am the one who has seen Its power firsthand._

She gripped the handles of her Aqua Fins even as the forest chirped to her peacefully. The flora and fauna of the jungle normally did not strike fear in her heart, but, as she made her way east she knew that she, a lone water toa, could easily become prey for the Human.

Again.

The memory of the blood, the seeping, dripping substance fell into her mind so abruptly and completely that she screwed her eyes closed and emitted a sharp cry. Were Humans really just Toa of Blood? The red liquid wasn't just water. It had something deep, something that made her heartlight flicker…

She broke from the jungle and was back out onto the shore. The familiar sloping sandy planes curved down into her greatest friend—the ocean. She could hear the birds calling in the sky, wheeling high in the air. Rest, little Gukkos. The Toa of Water will not hurt you today.

She angled out, heading north along the shore ankle deep in the warm, lapping water's of the bay. She needed a good swim.

All at once her senses whirled…and she turned on her heel, glaring back into the jungle that she had just come out of. She had smelled that familiar stench—the stench of a human. She tensed and the waters around her churned, ready to spring to her aide..

And It was standing there, cool as ice.

It was like a reply of the earlier scene. What did this thing want with _her?_ Why couldn't it go to one of the other Toa, who would not hesitate to lunge at it screaming oaths? Why hadn't this creature gone to visit Tahu? No doubt the Toa of fire would appreciate the sentiment…

The thing stepped out onto the beach, towards Gali. It's hands were raised as though offering peace.

Or maybe just about to bring down a devastating curse.

Gali knew she could no longer hear the birds calling above her head. Yes, run little Gukkos. Run and flee, let the Toa of Water fight this battle for you.

Pohatu had been correct as always, the humans were disgusting things. Gali forced herself to look squarely at this one's mask…it was the same color as the rest of its armor, but didn't have the gleam of hardened protodermis. Everything about a human looked like mush.

_Closer…Gali why haven't you attacked it yet?_

"Please…" The Human spoke, and Gali sensed waves of fear coming from it as well, "I just need…help…"

"BACK!" Gali took one step back and deeper into the waters, "Get away from me in Mata Nui's name, you Makutascum…"

"I am not the one you need to be fighting!" The Human said, raising its voice. Something within Gali shuddered at the inflection, the intonation. Her world flickered at the human's rage—was this the true power of its kind?

"Imagine things from my point of view!" The Human continued, speaking once more in that loud tone, "I don't know where I am or what I am doing here, I do not even know my name! Can't you show me some hospitality?"

Gali had had enough. She plunged her Aqua fins into the shore, screaming out to the waters to assist her. The obliged, creating a massive typhoon that arced high up and over, and just as it was about to crash down…Gali leaped backwards into the water and swam out into the bay, gone from sight.

But before the waters crashed down she could see fear in the human's eyes.

_Fear at what? Being bested? _Gali thought as the knifed cleanly through the water, getting deeper and further away from shore, _Why did it have to be me…_


	4. Hidden Motive

And while this was all going on…the Turaga were still conferring in the deepest bowels of Ta-Koro. Although Matoro had endured longer meetings, he was still starting to get a little antsy. The Village elders seemed to be circling the same points over and over without any signs of reaching a conclusion…As was usually the case in such weighty topics as this one.

"The Toa are starting to come apart at the seams." Nokama said gravely, looking around at her brothesr, "They have never experienced anything like this before,"

"How I wish we could tell them fully what we know!" Vakama sighed, slamming his firestaff on the ground in his frustration, "But there is a time when such stories may be repeated, and when such stories must be stifled…"

"If what we know can help them on their greatquest, then wouldn't it be heartwise to let them know?" Matau asked, a worried expression behind his mask, "For true, brothers and sister! I do not know how much longer I can stand by and seewatch our island stumble when we hold the key to its salvation!"

"It is hard, Matau." Whenua said in a low voice, "I will agree with you on that count—but the Toa need to learn what the humans really are, and what they need to become. Unfortunately if it means that Mata Nui must fall in order for them to see this, then so be it!"

"How can you say that!" Onewa leaped to his feet, outraged, "Are you so ready to admit our defeat, brother? Are you so ready to hand victory to the humans when really it's not them the toa should be fighting!"

"Don't get your mask in a fix!' Nokama chided gently, "Onewa, you know as well as I do that our Earthy brother here would never do such a thing."

"The most we can do is watch them, and pray to the Great Spirit that they find the true answer in the end." Vakama sighed, looking at the tip of his firestaff, which was now slightly bent from his mad attack of the ground, "For now, my brothers and my sister…we are needed in our own villages and not here."


End file.
